Govt Aid Resumption to Cut Feb. Electricity Bills in Japan

Tokyo, Dec. 26 (Jiji Press)--Japan’s 10 major electricity suppliers said Thursday that February bills for standard households will be cut by up to some 650 yen, thanks to the resumption of government subsidies.

The government now plans to provide the regional power utilities with 2.5 yen per kilowatt-hour of electricity in January and February and 1.3 yen in March.

Among the companies, Shikoku Electric Power Co. will cut the bill to be paid in February by 653 yen to 7,838 yen, the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. group by 647 yen to 8,174 yen and Hokuriku Electric Power Co. by 575 yen to 7,084 yen.

The subsidies were introduced in response to surges in energy prices triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They were halted in May and reinstated in August amid extreme heat, but were suspended again in October.

The government will revive the aid in the peak power demand season as one of economic measures it adopted last month to tackle inflation.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]